


The Caretaker

by bluesailor



Series: Nightmares [8]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Big Brother Dean, Episode: s13e23 Let the Good Times Roll, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-23 15:49:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16162025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluesailor/pseuds/bluesailor
Summary: Dean finds Jack having a nightmare, and long habit takes over.





	The Caretaker

**Author's Note:**

> Trying, very slowly and painfully, to start writing again. This one doesn't count because it's been sitting on my computer for months.

Dean doesn’t hesitate when he hears the cries coming from Jack’s room, doesn’t pause to question or consider. It’s a sound he’s been familiar with since Sam first found out about monsters, and habit, years-ingrained, takes over; he’s through the door and shaking Jack awake before he’s really thought about it. 

“Whoa, easy,” Dean says, backing out of reach as Jack comes awake, thrashing. “Just having a bad dream.” 

Jack’s eyes focus on him, and he immediately subsides against the headboard. “Sorry,” he mutters after a moment, glancing at Dean and then away. 

By now, Dean’s brain has caught up with him, and he does finally hesitate, and thinks about calling for Sam--Sam has always been better with the kid, and Jack trusts him more--but there's something about the way Jack is sitting curled in a hunch, hair flopping over his forehead, that pulls at Dean’s instincts, so he steps closer instead.

“You don’t have to apologize,” he says. “I have ‘em too, all the time.” 

Jack looks up at that. It’s a shy, fragile look, and it hits Dean suddenly how young he really is. “You do? What do you see?” 

“Depends,” Dean answers, and then, because Jack is still looking at him with puppy eyes to rival Sam’s, he adds, “Mostly people I couldn’t save.” 

“Me, too,” Jack whispers. Two deep creases appear between his eyebrows. “I saw so many people die, and I tried to save them, but I wasn’t strong enough.” 

Dean sort of panics then, because words have never been his thing, and in his experience words can’t solve something like this anyway--so instead he does what he knows how to do, and sits on the edge of the bed and pulls Jack’s head down to his shoulder. 

When Sam walks in a few minutes later, Jack is clinging to him, face buried in his neck, breath shuddering unevenly in and out. 

“Everything okay?” Sam asks. 

“It will be,” says Dean, and holds Jack tighter. 

 


End file.
